With the world growing “smaller” every day, the importance of a global education is more critical than ever.

Recognizing that need, the college has teamed with the University System of Georgia to offer the European Union Studies Program. It delivers a common curriculum that allows students to be issued a certificate in European Union Studies.

“The goal is to allow students to develop professional expertise in European Union affairs that can be used to enhance their opportunities for further study and employment,” said Dr. Tracy Lightcap, Professor and Program Coordinator of Political Science. “The program is designed to be interdisciplinary, bringing together a broad range of courses including political science, economics, business, management, history, art, languages, literature and culture.”

The European Union was formed after World War II, when several countries in Europe realized the best way to survive and thrive was to create an economic and political partnership. The idea was that countries that traded with each other were less likely to go to war with each other.

Today the European Union includes 27 countries in a single market with the euro as its common currency. Its purpose has expanded far beyond economic matters and now includes policy areas from development aid to environmental issues.

Dr. Lightcap said one of the objectives of the program is to expand the global reach of the college’s curriculum.

“This allows us to offer a much broader range of courses on the EU and EU topics than we would have been otherwise unable to do,” he said.

To qualify for a certificate in EU Studies, students must take six courses that total a minimum of 17 semester hours of academic credit. To earn the certificate, students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA in program courses upon completion of the program.

An official certificate is awarded by a student’s home institution for satisfactory fulfillment of the curriculum. Most institutions also recognize the accomplishment on the permanent transcripts of students participating in the academic track.

Students also have an opportunity to acquire a certificate jointly conferred with a European institution. This option requires students to complete—with a grade of "B" or better—a minimum of two online courses that are co-taught by European faculty.

“In other words, the certificate is bestowed by two institutions, one in Georgia and one in Europe,” Dr. Lightcap said. “The benefit is that students obtain a credential from a respected European university   Ludwig Maximillans University in Munich, Germany.”
The curriculum has four mandatory components and one option: Introduction to the EU; Multidisciplinary Menu; Capstone Seminar; Practicum Experience (a hands-on internship or study abroad course); and Areas of Distinction (optional distinctions for foreign language training or an honors thesis).

The courses for the EU Studies program are offered online and on the LaGrange campus.

“I taught the first course at LaGrange College last spring and several members of our faculty have agreed to offer courses,” Dr. Lightcap said. “We'll see what happens as awareness of the program develops here at LaGrange.”

Students must register with the program to take courses online, and program classes can be used to fulfill both general requirements and requirements for majors and minors in various disciplines. The program also has an option for study overseas at the University of Strasbourg in France offered through Georgia State University.

All courses at Strasbourg are taught in English, and the program is open to both graduate and upper division undergraduate students from all accredited institutions. 

For more information, contact Dr. Lightcap at tlightcap@lagrange.edu or visit www.eustudiesprogram.org/index.htm or www.eustudiesprogram.eu/